Liriodendron tulipifera is the state tree of both Indiana and Tennessee.

Native American tribes used Liriodendron tulipifera for making canoes. Cherokee and Rappahannock tribes used bark of the roots as a bitter tonic and heart stimulant, and it was considered useful in healing fevers, rheumatism, and digestive disorders (D. E. Moerman 1986).

The largest known tree of Liriodendron tulipifera , 44.5 m in height with a trunk diameter of 3.02 m, is recorded from Bedford, Virginia (American Forestry Association 1994).

Tree 18 - 32 m tall, trunk 0.6 - 1.2 m in diameter Leaves: alternate, bright green above, paler beneath, 8 - 15 cm long and wide, shaped like a cat's face, usually having four large lobes, occasionally with a few smaller lobes near the base, notched at the tip, non-toothed. Leaves turn yellow in fall. Flowers: usually at ends of branches near the top of the tree, greenish yellow with an orange blotch near the center, tulip-shaped, six-petaled, with many stamens and pistils. Fruit: a cone-like aggregate of winged seeds (samaras), 5 - 8 cm long, green changing to light brown, narrow, elongated. The stalk and axis of the fruit persisting after the samaras mature and disperse. Bark: greenish gray and scaly when young, becoming brownish gray and deeply furrowed with interlacing rounded ridges. Twigs: changing from reddish to brown to gray, shiny, smooth, encircled by stipular scars, citrus-scented when crushed. Terminal buds: 1.3 - 2 cm long, short-stalked, flattened, resembling a duck's beak, green to reddish brown, covered with a waxy coating (glaucous), with two scales that do not overlap (valvate).

Similar species: Liriodendron tulipifera is easy to distinguish in the Chicago Region. It has four-lobed leaves with notched tips, flattened terminal buds that resemble duck beaks, stipular scars that encircle the citrus-scented twigs, tulip-shaped flowers, and cone-like clusters of winged fruit.

Flowering: mid May to mid July

Habitat and ecology: Common in the eastern Chicago Region in open areas of woodlands, L. tulipifera is also found on stable dune slopes. Spontaneously occurring plants found in Illinois have probably escaped from cultivation since Michigan and Indiana are at the northwestern edge of the species' native range.

Occurence in the Chicago region: native

Notes: This species is commonly used in landscaping, especially in large yards and parks. The wood is used in making furniture, veneer, crates, and pulpwood. This is the state tree of Indiana.

Etymology: Liriodendron comes from the Greek words leirion, meaning a lily, and dendron, meaning a tree. Tulipifera means tulip-bearing, referring to the resemblance of the flower to a tulip.

This is an infrequent to frequent or common tree throughout the state although it may be absent or very local in a few of the northwestern counties. It grows in almost all kinds of soil but prefers a dry, rather sandy one where it is often a common tree in some of the southern counties. In the hilly counties it is usually found toward the bases of slopes and is almost invariably associated with beech and sugar maple, although there are exceptions where it grows with white oak, black gum, and others.